The shaft of a golf club couples the golfer to the club head with which the golfer strikes the ball. The shaft is the primary component by which the golfer can manipulate the club head in executing the intended shot. In addition to performance or playability of a golf club, there are intangibles that influence a player's like or dislike of a particular product. Of these, the "feel" is of foremost concern. The "feel" is the capability of the golf club to reproduce the shot intended by the golfer, which relates to the confidence instilled in the golfer through his kinesthetic senses that he or she can produce the intended shot.
A golf club shaft may generally be described as a straight rod having a relatively larger diameter grip end, where a material by which the player holds the club is attached, tapering, either gradually or in discrete steps, to a relatively smaller diameter head end, where a club head is attached. Previous golf club shafts have been composed of wood, metal and composite materials.
The subject of the "feel" of a golf club is discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,319,750, 4,757,997 and 4,889,575, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. These previous patents are directed to golf shafts designed to provide improved payability and "feel". U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,757,997 and 4,889,575 disclose shafts composed of layers of woven and non-woven filamentary fibers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,750 discloses a composite shaft having a relatively flexible grip end and a relatively stiff head end.
It has now been discovered that an alternative configuration of composite materials may be used to produce a golf club shaft having improved performance while retaining the desirable characteristics that provide good "feel".
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a golf club shaft with enhanced performance while retaining the desirable characteristics that provide good "feel".
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for making such a golf club shaft.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a golf club incorporating such a golf club shaft.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims.